Subscribers to residential VoIP network service sometimes desire to have their primary number ported to their VoIP services. A primary phone number is a phone number that a customer has originally with another network provider or a phone number associated with Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) services of the same network provider. The porting experience can sometimes lead to long delays in the activation of the new service due to mishaps in the processing of orders between the network provider of the primary number and the VoIP service provider. Customer frustration can also result if their primary service is disconnected before their number is ported to the new VoIP network causing them to have no phone service for a period of time.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for assigning virtual numbers during porting of primary numbers in a packet network, e.g., a VoIP network.